Lithuania’s 1st recruits starting service in Klaipėda

The recruits include 476 young men and 19 young women aged between 20 and 30 who volunteered for the service, the Defence Ministry said.

On Monday morning, the recruits will be transported to Klaipeda from all regional conscription centres in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Šiauliai, Panevėžys and Alytus. On the first day, they will be issued uniforms and gear, followed by introduction of the unit and placement in barracks.

Under the training plan, the first eight weeks will include basic military training, i.e., theoretical lectures, drill formations and military statute, military tactic, engineering, topography, communications and medicine, study guns and communication equipment. A specialist training will be the next phase, teaching the recruits to act in their unit and perform assigned tasks. Just like in other military training, the recruits will be sworn in a few weeks into the training.
According to the press release, the Butigeidis Dragoon Battalion renovated the living premises, arranged classrooms and recreational areas before the arrival of the received.

The battalion is headed by Major Viktoras Bagdonas since the beginning of August.

The first recruits will be greeted by President Dalia Grybauskaitė, Defence Minister Juozas Olekas and Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas.

The conscription system was reintroduced to fill the military units and develop a reserve. A total of 3,000 people will be conscripted this year, while many will join voluntarily.